About

China’s urbanization is the most compelling development story of the 21st Century. The country’s prolific economic growth is reflected in its many vibrant and rapidly expanding urban areas. By 2030, it is estimated that China will have more than 220 cities with populations of more than one million.

The China Urban Development Blog is dedicated to documenting this phenomenon as it happens. We aim to be comprehensive in scope- covering topics related to urban issues in China as well as looking beyond the first tier metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai to discover the up-and-coming second and third tier cities.

Authors:

Adam N. Mayer: Adam is the Founder and Executive Editor of the China Urban Development Blog. In addition to writing about urbanism and development, he is a practicing architect based in San Francisco, California. Prior to returning to California, Adam spent three years in China working in Beijing and Chengdu where he led the design of several large-scale planning and urban mixed-use projects. A noted authority on China’s urban development, he has been quoted in publications such as Forbes, Monocle, CityLab, South China Morning Post, and the New York Times.

Daniel Hedglin: Daniel is an urban planner who is interested in Chinese cities and how they function. He received his Master’s degree in City & Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his research focused on resiliency planning and market-based environmental regulations. Prior to graduate school, Daniel worked for three years at a start-up in Shanghai. He is currently based in North Carolina.

Ziyou Tian: Ziyou is an urban planner interested in housing, real estate development, and art & culture in cities. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Studies. A Beijing native, she is fascinated by the challenges and opportunities of China’s urban development. Ziyou currently resides in Hong Kong where she works as a space planner for workplace environments.